Contents

Background

Kenya Oshitari (忍足謙也, Oshitari Kenya) is famously known as Speed Star of Naniwa. Kenya is even faster than Shiraishi Kuranosuke and Kamio Akira. Kenya is extremely fast and is very proud of his speed.

He is the cousin of Yūshi Oshitari, whom he has a close relationship with though they seem to argue a lot about where they are representing (Kansai vs. Kanto, Osaka vs. Tokyo).

Appearance

Although just being cousins, Kenya has facial features that are similar to Yuushi, though Kenya's face is a bit sharper. However instead of a dark hair color, Kenya's hair is a light coffee color and is bleached as Kenya's hair was black when he was young. Kenya gains some large scars on his left cheek after Mountain Training at the U-17 Camp.

Personality

It is known that Kenya does everything quickly. To the extent that his favorite saying No Speed, No Life!. His cousin also mentions that he even eats fast. He is very proud of his Speed and refuses to back down when someone challenges his forte shown during his Doubles match against Kamio Akira and Ishida Tetsu while paired with Ishida Gin during the Nationals. Whatever Kenya does, he will make sure to do it the fastest way possible. He even does it without realizing he's doing it.

In the manga, Kenya is often seen arguing with cousin Yushi about which 1st year Super Rookie is better- Kansai's Kintaro of the West or Kanto's Ryoma of the East, with Kenya arguing for his Shitenhoji teammate.

History

Kenya as a child.

Sometime during their childhood, the Oshitari cousins were playing together and Kenya persuaded Yushi to wear glasses which is the reason that Yushi wears glasses to this day despite not actually needing them. It all started from Kenya's request to play Doctors in which they both were to dress up as doctors.

Kenya and Yushi at one point went to Elementary School together.

One Year Prior to the Storyline

Kenya and the Shitenhoji tennis club (everyone introduced including former captain Hara Tetsuya besides Kintaro and Chitose who was not at Shitenhoji yet) made it to the National Semifinals but lost against Rikkai Dai. Chitose notes how Kenya was crushed by Juzaburō Mōri during a Singles match back then, a fact that irritates Kenya. It was revealed that it was Hara who suggested for Kenya to play against Mōri in Singles 3 the night before the match.

Nationals

Kenya during the Nationals.

As the Kansai Regional Tournament winners, Shitenhōji advanced directly to the second round. In the Second round, because it was their first official match-up, they were required to play all 5 matches. They easily defeat Okakura as 5-0, as shown in the databooks, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Shitenhoji win their first match effortlessy and quickly so they are able to arrive at Seigaku's match with Higa in time to see Tezuka defeat Kite in Singles 1. Kenya is seen here with his teammates.

Prior To U-17 Camp

Shown during the Another Story OVA, Kenya and the rest of the Shitehoji tennis club welcome Seigaku to their school for a joint training session between the two schools after the nationals while the Seigaku tennis club stay in Osaka. He and Kikumaru Eiji are initially meant to have a practice match until the two of them get carried away with the speed abilities and forget the match causing everyone to move on to the next practice match.

After Kaido and Momo are able to sort out their differences and understand what is needed to be the captain and vice-captain of Seigaku respectively, everyone gets involved in long rallies and has fun playing tennis.

U-17 Camp

Oshitari, along with his Nationals teammates, are invited to U-17 camp as well as many other middle schoolers. There he and Kuranosuke Shiraishi are forced to play a doubles tie-breaker where the loser is thought to have to leave the camp. He loses to Shiraishi 7-3.

This meant he had to go to the mountains to train with the other middle schoolers that lost. There, he meets the Drunken Coach who instructs the middle schoolers to do strange tasks which end up improving their techniques.

Oshitari was specifically instructed by the Drunken Coach to steal sake from the main camp with Ryoma and Tanishi Kei. On the way, they had to run away from bats, swim in water, and walk through laser beams- a task Kenya was able to do because of his increased balance ability due to the Drunken Coach's training.

Kenya as he returns as part of the Black Jersey brigade.

The middle school losers return not as losers, but as the 2nd Court since they apparently defeated the previous 8 members of the 2nd Court. Upon arrival Kenya is so fast he stuns the High Schoolers that tried to intimidate the Black Jersey Brigade members away from the camp. He later on arrives at his room which he shares with cousing Yushi and other Speedy players Kamio Akira and Richard Sakata.

U-17 Camp Revolution

Kenya along with Takeshi Momoshiro challenges his fomer captains Taira Yoshiyuki (captained Shitenhouji while Kenya was a freshman) and Hara Tetsuya (captained the year before Shiraishi). This is immediately after they have their first Foriegn Expedition Challenge match when two other High Schoolers attempted to challenge them however Hara and Taira finish them instantly, Hara being the No.19 of U-17 Japan and Taira being the No.18. Hara and Taira accept the challenge. Oshitari and Momoshiro end up defeating the high schoolers.